Qin Sang walked closer and saw Er Fu testing Heizi's forehead, her face filled with doubt and concern.
Seeing Qin Sang approach, Heizi's face grew more tense. He immediately took a step back but accidentally tripped over the firewood beside him, nearly falling over.
Er Fu rushed forward to support him:
"Are you dizzy?"
Heizi immediately stood straight and shook his head:
"No, it's nothing, I'm fine."
Er Fu's brow furrowed:
"Didn't you just say you felt nauseous and wanted to vomit?"
Qin Sang gave an 'oh' and asked:
"Heizi, you couldn't have been infected, could you?"
Heizi's face flushed with tension, his already dark skin turning even swarthier:
"No... no, I don't feel nauseous anymore."
After speaking, Heizi looked out toward the entrance of the Cave:
"Aunt, I'm going over there to see if they have enough firewood."
With that, he ran off in a flash, only to slip and get covered in mud.
Er Fu was incredibly worried:
"Be careful! Walk slower."
"Sigh."
Heizi's clumsy escape drew a burst of laughter from inside the Cave:
"Oh my, this young lad looks full of life; how could he possibly be sick?"
"I think he is sick, and quite seriously at that."
Er Fu still didn't understand and asked the woman in confusion:
"Can you tell what illness it is, Aunt?"
Seeing her innocent look, everyone wanted to laugh but held it in.
They had all seen it over the past few days—that young man likely had feelings for the Tian girl. It was just that this Tian girl was entirely focused on the patients and treated the lad like a friend.
However, they didn't intend to tell Er Fu that Heizi was suffering from lovesickness.
After all, a girl's reputation was important in these times. If word got out, it wouldn't be good for their benefactor.
"No, no, we aren't doctors, how could we tell?"
Qin Sang felt it was better to let things take their course and didn't plan to expose it. She changed the subject:
"Er Fu, we used three prescriptions in total for this treatment: Great Green Dragon Decoction, Shengjiang Powder, and Minor Bupleurum Decoction. Among these three, which do you think was most effective?"
Er Fu answered seriously:
"I think Shengjiang Powder had the best effect. But Mother, among the Medicinal Herbs we kept, we have the most for Minor Bupleurum. Although its effect is slightly weaker, even children can take it."
Qin Sang nodded, very satisfied with Er Fu's analysis. The reason she asked was to test Er Fu's medical knowledge.
When she visited the other two Caves just now, Qin Sang had also asked A Qing and the others, only to find that A Qing and the rest were still at the stage of doing exactly what they were told.
However, they hadn't been learning for long. Being able to take initiative in the treatment tasks was already very good, so Qin Sang encouraged them.
In the future, they would have to make their own decisions when prescribing Chinese medicine. Qin Sang needed to cultivate their habits of independent analysis, thinking, and decision-making.
Two more days passed, and the symptoms of the remaining patients disappeared. Truly, illness comes like a mountain falling but leaves like silk being pulled from a cocoon. After seeing off the patients, Qin Sang also took Er Fu and the others back to the camp.
She had Eldest Brother's Wife boil a large pot of hot water, and Qin Sang took a thoroughly refreshing bath.
She hadn't felt it while in the Cave, but now that she was back, Qin Sang felt exhausted all over.
Er Fu was the same; they hadn't had a full night's sleep for over ten days. The little bit of weight the two of them had managed to put on had wasted away again.
After bathing and drying their hair, the two of them climbed into bed and fell asleep.
Before sleeping, Qin Sang instructed that she needed a good rest and not to call her, letting her sleep until she woke up naturally.
The two of them slept soundly in the room, not even eating.
It was unknown how long they slept.
Vaguely, Qin Sang heard Eldest Girl's voice:
"Mother, Grandma isn't going to die, is she?"
Eldest Brother's Wife quickly covered her daughter's mouth:
"Don't talk nonsense. Grandma is just too tired and fell asleep. We shouldn't disturb her here."
Not long after, the Old Village Chief's voice could be heard outside:
"It's been hard on Da Zhuang's Mother lately, busy as a spinning top. Butcher Hu's business, the Rebel Soldiers, the refugees, and even Tianjia Village all rely on her to make decisions. This burden is heavy."
"Da Zhuang's Mother is just too kind-hearted, giving Medicinal Herbs and grain, and even caring for them personally. Even a good person would fall ill from exhaustion."
"Da Zhuang, this is a pheasant caught today. Have your wife stew it to nourish your Mother."
Qin Sang forced her eyes open and found it was dark. What time was it?
She rolled over and sat up, stretching. Feeling most of her fatigue gone, Qin Sang dressed herself and finally went out.
Seeing her come out, everyone said happily:
"Da Zhuang's Mother, you're finally up. If you slept any longer, we'd have to consider calling a doctor for you."
Qin Sang was puzzled:
"Didn't I just sleep for a day? Why would I need a doctor?"
Eldest Girl ran over and hugged Qin Sang, looking up with her small face:
"Grandma, you've slept for two days and two nights. Is Grandma hungry? Eldest Girl will go get food for Grandma."
Qin Sang looked at the room full of people and said with a smile that she wasn't hungry yet. She couldn't have a whole room of people waiting there just to watch her eat alone.
"I'll wait for your Eldest Paternal Aunt to wake up and eat together."
Qin Sang picked up Eldest Girl and looked at everyone with a smile:
"Are you all here because you're worried I wouldn't wake up?"
The Old Village Chief smiled and stroked his beard:
"We were worried you'd sleep too long, but there are also matters to discuss."
Qin Sang sat down on a chair:
"Oh? What matters?"
"It's about leaving the village as we discussed before. Although it rains from time to time now, it stops for half a day. We said we'd go out and check in half a month, and the day is approaching."
Qin Sang nodded:
"Then I'll prepare tomorrow and bring some Medicinal Herbs to try and sell while I'm out."
The Old Village Chief nodded and looked toward Da Zhuang:
"Good, then I'll go arrange people to go with you later. The remaining matters concern your family, Da Zhuang, you tell her."
Tian Dazhuang received the instruction and stepped forward to explain to Qin Sang:
"Mother, over the past two days, people have been constantly bringing grass roots to the Cave where you treated the refugees. Besides grass roots, there are Copper Coins and even silver hairpins."
Qin Sang was startled:
"The refugees sent them?"
Tian Dazhuang nodded, and the Old Village Chief added:
"Heizi and the others ran into the refugees who were delivering the grass roots while on patrol. They said it's to thank you for saving their lives. They have nothing else to thank you with, so they brought all the grass roots they dug over the past two days to that place."
Tian Sangui followed up:
"We said we could give them money or food, but they wouldn't take it. They said they've eaten a lot of our family's grain these past few days, and these grass roots are far from enough to repay us."
Tian Dazhuang spoke up:
"Now that money and those grass roots are still piled in the Cave, waiting for you to decide what to do, Mother. Otherwise, if too much time passes, they'll likely rot."
When Qin Sang saved those people, she hadn't sought consultation fees or rewards from the refugees. Being a doctor herself, even without claiming high medical ethics, she couldn't stand by and watch these simple folk die.
Another reason was that their colds and fevers were largely due to her arrangements against the Rebel Soldiers. By enduring a night of rain, they had resolved a major threat to Tianjia Village, so Qin Sang had given the medicine and grain without any hesitation.
She just hadn't expected that as soon as they recovered, they would think of repaying her.
"Is it a lot?" Qin Sang asked.
Tian Dazhuang nodded:
"A lot. It's already filled two Caves. Even the money hasn't been stolen by anyone; it just keeps increasing."